It is becoming increasingly popular among some elements of the population to steal hood ornaments and form a collection. This is a particular problem with Mercedes Benz ornaments due to the prestige and universal recognition that the ornament emblem conveys.
Hood ornament alarms have been designed and marketed, and the inventors of the instant removable ornament produce and successfully market such alarms. The alarms are very reliable, but as with any alarm they do not deter a thief who is undaunted by the sounding of an alarm, and who will twist the ornament off its mount whether or not an alarm is sounding.
With the advent of removable stereo systems which the owner carries out of the car with him to prevent the car from being broken into in order to steal the stereo, car owners have become familiar with the concept of removable parts which are taken off or out of the vehicle and with the driver when the vehicle is parked in a vulnerable place. Removable hood ornaments follow this trend and are becoming a popular item. The instant inventors also market a prior-art hood ornament that is removable, designed for use with the Mercedes Benz.
Prior art removable hood ornaments include at least two types. Both of these types use a depending shaft which functions as a pin to insert into a socket beneath the hood to the vehicle. The straight shaft is pushed in or pulled out at will to remove or remount the ornament.
One version connects the shaft to the ornament with a pin which is secured in place by epoxy which fills the interior cavity of the ornament seat. Although this unit works well in the beginning, the epoxy is subject to cracking and weakening with age, resulting in the separation of the parts.
The unit produced in the past by the applicants does not use epoxy, but rather silicone, which fills the internal cavity of the ornament seating element. The silicon is pressed into place with a press ring, which also maintains some compression against the silicone and the pin connection between the shaft and the tongue of the ornament. But the silicone like the epoxy is subject to deterioration with age and the pressed-on press ring can loosen and slip.
There is a need for a removable hood ornament with a sure-fire construction that does not deteriorate in strength and quality with age.